Heat exchanger

ABSTRACT

A heat exchanger comprises: a long and slender entrance side tank connected to one end side in the longitudinal direction of a plurality of laminated tubes; and an entrance pipe protruded from a wall face laid in the longitudinal direction of the entrance side tank, communicated with the inside of the entrance side tank, the heat exchanger further comprising: a division plate shifted from a center of a projected region which is formed when an inner diameter portion of the entrance pipe is projected into the entrance side tank, the division plate being formed into a plate-shape, the division plate being arranged so that the inside of the entrance side tank can be divided into two portions in the longitudinal direction and the plate face of the division plate can be laid in the axial direction of the entrance pipe, wherein the division plate divides a flow of fluid flowing into the entrance pipe by a plate-shaped end portion so that a flow of fluid flowing onto one side in the longitudinal direction of the entrance side tank and a flow of fluid flowing onto the other side in the longitudinal direction of the entrance side tank can be set at a predetermined ratio.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger preferably used for a radiator incorporated, for example, into an automobile.

2. Description of the Related Art

A conventional heat exchanger is disclosed, for example, in the official gazette of JP-UM-2-124225. This heat exchanger includes: a plurality of tubes arranged in parallel with each other; a tube plate with which end portions of the tubes are communicated; and an entrance tank, the opening edge of which is joined to the tube plate, and a pipe, into which internal fluid flows, protrudes from an outer face of the entrance tank.

The pipe is arranged at a position shifted from the center of the entrance tank in the longitudinal direction. The entrance tank is divided into two portions in the longitudinal direction with respect to the boundary of the root portion of the pipe. A partition is provided in the pipe and the entrance tank so that a larger quantity of internal fluid can be introduced into one divided portion of the entrance tank, the opening area of which is larger than the other divided portion of the entrance tank. In the pipe, a position of the partition is biased to one side so that a cross section of the passage formed by this partition can correspond to the opening area of the entrance tank. In the entrance tank, a forward end portion of the partition is inclined to a side on which the opening area is large.

Due to the above structure, the internal fluid can be made to flow uniformly in the tubes. Therefore, heat exchange is effectively conducted throughout the entire heat exchanger.

However, in the heat exchanger described in the official gazette of JP-UM-2-124225, in order to make a larger quantity of internal fluid flow on the side of the larger opening area of the entrance tank, the partition is inclined so that a direction of the flow of the internal fluid can be changed along the inclined partition. Therefore, in this structure, the partition is given a load (pressure) from the internal fluid at all times. In the patent document described above, the heat exchanger is used for cooling air sucked into an engine. Therefore, as the internal fluid is a gas, a load given to the partition is light, however, for example, in the case where liquid such as cooling water is made to flow as the internal fluid, a heavy load is given by the internal fluid. Accordingly, it becomes necessary to improve the mechanical strength and the durability. Further, there is a possibility that the tubes are stopped up with broken pieces in the case where the partition has been damaged.

In view of the above problems of the prior art, an object of the present invention is to provide a heat exchanger characterized in that: a load given to the heat exchanger is made as light as possible; and the flow rate of internal fluid can be easily distributed.

In order to accomplish that above object, the present invention adopts the following technical means.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heat exchanger comprising: a long and slender entrance side tank (120) connected to one end side in the longitudinal direction of a plurality of laminated tubes (111); and an entrance pipe (121 a) protruded from a wall face (121 d) laid in the longitudinal direction of the entrance side tank (120), communicated with the inside of the entrance side tank (120), the heat exchanger further comprising: a division plate (123) shifted from a center of a projected region which is formed when an inner diameter portion of the entrance pipe (121 a) is projected into the entrance side tank (120), the division plate (123) being formed into a plate-shape, the division plate (123) being arranged so that the inside of the entrance side tank (120) can be divided into two portions in the longitudinal direction and the plate face (123 a) of the division plate (123) can be laid in the axial direction of the entrance pipe (121 a), wherein the division plate (123) divides a flow of fluid flowing into the entrance pipe (121 a) by a plate-shaped end portion (123 b) so that the flow rate of fluid flowing onto one side in the longitudinal direction of the entrance side tank (120) and the flow rate of fluid flowing onto the other side in the longitudinal direction of the entrance side tank (120) can be set at a predetermined ratio.

Due to the above structure, no load is given, by the fluid, to the plate face (123 a) of the division plate (123). Therefore, a heat exchanger (100), the durability of which is high, can be provided.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the entrance pipe (121 a) is located on one side in the longitudinal direction of the entrance side tank (120), and the division plate (123) is arranged at a position shifted by a predetermined distance to one side in the longitudinal direction of the entrance side tank (120).

Due to the above structure, although the flow rate of fluid flowing to the other side in the longitudinal direction of the entrance tank (120) is reduced, compared to the case where no division plate (123) is provided, the flow rate of fluid flowing to the other side can be increased by the division plate (123). Accordingly, it is possible to equalize the flow rate of fluid flowing in the tubes (111), and the heat exchange performance of the heat exchanger (100) can be enhanced.

It is possible to reduce a temperature difference between the tubes (111) caused by an uneven flow rate of fluid. Therefore, the durability of the heat exchanger (100) can be enhanced.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the division plate (123) is extended into the entrance pipe (121 a).

Due to the above structure, at the time when fluid has flowed into the entrance pipe (121 a), the fluid has been divided by the division plate (123). Therefore, a flow rate can be positively divided.

Incidentally, the reference numerals in parentheses, to denote the above means, are intended to show the relationship of the specific means which will be described later in an embodiment of the invention.

The present invention may be more fully understood from the description of preferred embodiments of the invention set forth below, together with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an entire radiator.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing portion A of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line B-B in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line C-C in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a division plate in the second embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The first embodiment will be explained below. The first embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. In the first embodiment, a heat exchanger of the present invention is applied to a radiator 100 for automobile use. In this connection, FIG. 1 is a front view showing an entire radiator 100, FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing portion A of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line B-B in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line C-C in FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 1, the radiator 100 is a so-called vertical flow type in which cooling water flowing in tubes 111 of a core portion 110 is directed downward from the top in the drawing. As a fundamental structure, the radiator 100 includes: a core portion 110; an upper tank 120; and a lower tank 130.

The core portion 110 includes: a tube 111; a corrugated fin (referred to as a fin hereinafter) 112; and a side plate 113, wherein the core portion 110 is connected to plate portions 122, 132 of both tanks 120, 130 described later. These members 111 to 113 are respectively made of aluminum or aluminum alloy, the mechanical strength and the corrosion resistance of which are excellent.

A plurality of tubes 111 and fins 112 are alternately laminated on each other, that is, a plurality of tubes 111 and fins 112 are alternately arranged in the lateral direction in FIG. 1. Outside of the outermost fin 112 in the laminating direction, side plates 113 are provided, which are reinforcement members, the cross sections of which are formed into a C-shape. In this connection, each tube 111 is formed in such a manner that, for example, a strip-shaped flat sheet is folded. A cross section of the tube 111 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is flat. The fin 112 is formed out of a thin strip-shaped sheet and corrugated by means of roller forming. The folded portions of the corrugated fin come into contact with outer wall faces of the tubes 111.

End portions in the longitudinal direction of each tube 111 are inserted into the tube holes 122 a (shown in FIG. 3) of the plate portions 122, 132. End portions in the longitudinal direction of the side plate 113 come into contact with the plate portions 122, 132. The members 111 to 113, 122, 132 are integrally brazed to each other by brazing material provided on the surfaces of the tubes 111, the side plates 113 and the plate portions 122, 132.

The upper tank (corresponding to the entrance side tank in the present invention) 120 includes: a main tank body 121 and a plate portion 122. The lower tank 130 includes a main tank body 131 and a plate portion 132. The main tank bodies 121, 131 are made of resin material (for example, nylon material). The plate portions 122, 132 are made of aluminum or aluminum alloy.

Each main tank body 121, 131 is formed into a shape of a container which will be described as follows. A shape of the cross section of each main tank body 121, 131, which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (referred to as a tank longitudinal direction hereinafter) of the tank body, is formed into a substantial U-shape (shown in FIG. 3). A side of each main tank body 121, 131, which is opposed to each plate portion 122, 132, is open. The main tank portion 121 on the upper side includes: a pipe portion (corresponding to the entrance pipe in the present invention); a water filling port 121 b for adding cooling water; an attaching portion 121 c used for attaching the heat exchanger to a vehicle, wherein these components are integrated with each other into one body. The lower side main tank portion 131 includes: a pipe portion (exit pipe) 131 a; and an attaching portion 131 b, wherein these components are integrated with each other into one body.

In this connection, the pipe portions 121 a, 131 a respectively protrudes from the side walls (corresponding to the wall faces provided in the longitudinal direction of the tank in the present invention) 121 d of the main tank body portions 121, 131 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tank. The pipe portions 121 a, 131 a are communicated with the inside of the main tank body portions 121, 131.

Each of the plate portions 122, 132 is a long and slender plate-shaped member, onto the surface of which brazing material is clad. In an inside region of each plate portion, a plurality of tube holes 122 a are formed being arranged in the longitudinal direction. On the outer circumference of the plate portion 122, 132, a tank insertion portion 122 b, into which the outer circumference portion on the opening side of the main tank body portion 121, 131 is inserted, and a plurality of crimping nails 122 c used for caulking the tank are provided. Between the outer circumference portion on the opening side of each main tank body portion 121, 131 and the tank insertion portion 122 b of each plate portion 122, 132, a sealing packing member 122 d is interposed. The main tank body portion 121, 131 and the plate portion 122, 132 are mechanically joined to each other being caulked by the plurality of crimping nails 122 c.

In the present embodiment, by the restriction imposed on the heat exchanger when the heat exchanger is mounted on a vehicle, in the upper tank 120, the pipe portion 121 a is located on one side (on the left side in FIG. 1) in the longitudinal direction of the tank. The main tank body portion 121 is formed in such a manner that a rising size (a size in the vertical direction in FIG. 1), which is in the longitudinal direction of the tube, of the U-shaped cross-section of the main tank body 121 is gradually reduced toward both end portion sides in the longitudinal direction of the tank as if the U-shaped cross-section of the main tank body 121 were crushed. As the pipe portion 121 a is located close to one side of the main tank body portion 121, on the other side (on the right side in FIG. 1) of the main tank body portion 121, the region, the U-shaped cross-section of which is formed being crushed, is long.

At a position in the main tank body portion 121 corresponding to the position of the pipe portion 121 a, a division plate 123 is provided. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a plate face 123 a of the division plate 123 is extended in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tank. That is, the division plate 123 is a plate-shaped member, the plate face 123 a of which is set along the axial direction of the pipe portion 121 a. The division plate 123 is extended and protrudes from an inner wall of the side wall 121 e which is located on the side opposite to the pipe portion 121 a of to the main tank body portion 121. This division plate 123 is formed and integrated with the main tank body 121 into one body. By the division plate 123, a space formed in the main tank body 121 is divided into two portions, wherein one is a portion on one side (on the left side of FIG. 1) of the longitudinal direction of the tank and the other is a portion on the other side (on the right side of FIG. 1) of the longitudinal direction of the tank.

The division plate 123 is arranged in a projected region which is formed when an inner diameter portion of the pipe portion 121 a is projected into the main tank body portion 121. In this case, the projected region is defined as a region corresponding to the inner diameter size of the pipe portion 121 a in the longitudinal direction of the tank as shown in FIG. 4. With respect to the center of the projected region, that is, with respect to the center of the pipe portion 121 a, the division plate 123 is arranged being shifted to one side of the longitudinal direction of the tank by the size L1 (the predetermined distance). That is, one side of the projected region is small and the other side of the projected region is large. Further, an end portion 123 b, which is a forward end side of the division plate 123, is formed into a round-shape. Therefore, between the end portion 123 b and the inner wall of the side wall 121 d of the main tank body 121, a gap corresponding to the size L2 is formed. In this connection, concerning the end portions of the division plate 123 in the longitudinal direction of the tube 111, one end portion is connected to the ceiling wall 121 f, the cross-section of which is a U-shape, of the main tank body 121 and the other is located at a position substantially coinciding with the outer diameter portion of the pipe portion 121 a.

The radiator 100 composed as described above is arranged in the front portion (at the rear of the grill) of an engine compartment of a vehicle, and the attaching portions 121 c, 131 b are fixed to a vehicle frame. An inlet hose extending from the vehicle engine is attached to the pipe portion 121 a. An outlet hose, in which the cooling water returns to the engine, is attached to the pipe portion 131 a.

Next, the operation and the operational effect of the radiator 100 composed as described above will be explained below.

Cooling water flows from the vehicle engine into the pipe portion 121 a and the upper tank 120 via the inlet hose. Then, the cooling water flows in the plurality of tubes 111. While the cooling water is flowing in the plurality of tubes 111, heat exchange is conducted with a flow of cold air, so that the cooling water can be cooled. At this time, heat exchange is facilitated by the fins 112. The thus cooled cooling water is collected into the lower tank 130. The thus collected cooling water flows out from the pipe portion 131 a and returns to the engine via the outlet hose.

When the pipe portion 121 a is located at a position on the left side in FIG. 1 in the upper tank 120 (the main tank body 121) and the rising size of the U-shaped cross-section of the upper tank 120 is formed small in a long region on the right side in FIG. 1, a large quantity of cooling water, which flows from the pipe portion 121 a, flows onto the left side of the core portion 110 and a small quantity of cooling water flows onto the right side of the core portion 110.

However, in the present embodiment, as the division plate 123 is arranged in the upper tank 120, as shown in FIG. 4, the cooling water, which has flowed from the pipe portion 121 a, is divided by the end portion 123 b of the division plate 123. Therefore, according to the size L1, which is the size shifted from the projected region, and according to the gap size L2, a larger quantity of cooling water can be made to flow on the right side as compared with the left side. Therefore, it is possible to make the cooling water flow equally in the tubes of the core portion 110. That is, it becomes possible to enhance the heat exchange performance when the heat exchanger is used as a radiator 100. In this connection, the larger the shifted size L1 is, the larger the quantity of cooling water that can be distributed onto the wider side in the projected region. The smaller the gap size L2 is, the higher the effect of distribution of the cooling water that can be provided.

At this time, the division plate 123 only divides a flow of cooling water by the end portion 123 b. Therefore, no load (pressure) of the cooling water is given to the plate face 123 a. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a radiator 100 (division plate 123), the durability of which is high.

Further, it is possible to prevent a temperature difference between the tubes 111 which is caused when the flow rates of cooling waters are not equal. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of heat deformation caused by the temperature difference. Accordingly, the durability of the radiator 100 can be enhanced.

A basic shape of the division plate 123 is a simple plate-shape. When the size L1, which is a size shifted from the center of the projected region, and the size L2, which is a size of the gap, are appropriately set, the flow rate of cooling water on the right side of the upper tank 120 and the flow rate of cooling water on the left side of the upper tank 120 can be determined at a predetermined ratio by a very compact device. Therefore, an influence given to the productivity and the manufacturing cost can be minimized.

Next, the second embodiment will be explained below. The second embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 5. The second embodiment is composed in such a manner that the end portion 123 b of the division plate 123 is extended into the pipe portion 121 a in the first embodiment.

Due to the above structure, at the time when the cooling water flows into the pipe portion 121 a, the fluid can be divided by the division plate 123. Therefore, the flow rate of cooling water can be more positively distributed.

Finally, another embodiment will be explained below. With respect to the first and the second embodiment described above, irrespective of the position of the pipe portion 121 a in the upper tank 120 (The position of the pipe portion 121 a in the upper tank 120 is located on the left side.) and also irrespective of the shape of the main tank body portion 121 (A cross-section of the shape of the main tank body portion 121 on the right side is formed being crushed in a long region.), when the division plate 123 is used, the distribution of the flows of cooling water can be positively changed. For example, in the case where a distribution is caused in the flow of the cooling air flowing into the heat exchanger from a vehicle grill, the division plate 123 may be utilized so that a quantity of cooling water can be increased on a side of a large volume of the cooling air.

Even in the case where the pipe portion 121 a is not perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tank but inclined, when the plate face 123 a of the division plate 123 is set along the axial direction of the inclined pipe portion 121 a, the same effect can be provided. Even in the case where the pipe portion 121 a protrudes from the ceiling wall 121 f of the main tank body portion 121, it is possible to apply the division plate 123 to the heat exchanger.

Concerning the material of the heat exchanger, instead of aluminum or aluminum alloy, it is possible to use copper alloy or stainless steel.

The heat exchanger of the present invention is applied to the radiator 100. However, the application of the heat exchanger is not limited to the radiator 100. The heat exchanger of the present invention can be applied to an oil cooler, a heater core, a condenser used for condensing refrigerant incorporated into a refrigerating cycle and an evaporator for evaporating refrigerant in the same manner. The use of the heat exchanger of the present invention is not limited to a heat exchanger for vehicle use but the heat exchanger of the present invention may be a heat exchanger for domestic use.

While the invention has been described by reference to specific embodiments chosen for purposes of illustration, it should be apparent that numerous modifications could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the basic concept and scope of the invention. 

1. A heat exchanger comprising: a long and slender entrance side tank (120) connected to one end side in the longitudinal direction of a plurality of laminated tubes (111); and an entrance pipe (121 a) protruded from a wall face (121 d) laid in the longitudinal direction of the entrance side tank (120), communicated with the inside of the entrance side tank (120), the heat exchanger further comprising: a division plate (123) shifted from a center of a projected region which is formed when an inner diameter portion of the entrance pipe (121 a) is projected into the entrance side tank (120), the division plate (123) being formed into a plate-shape, the division plate (123) being arranged so that the inside of the entrance side tank (120) can be divided into two portions in the longitudinal direction and the plate face (123 a) of the division plate (123) can be laid in the axial direction of the entrance pipe (121 a), wherein the division plate (123) divides a flow of fluid flowing into the entrance pipe (121 a) by a plate-shaped end portion (123 b) so that the flow rate of fluid flowing onto one side in the longitudinal direction of the entrance side tank (120) and the flow rate of fluid flowing onto the other side in the longitudinal direction of the entrance side tank (120) can be set at a predetermined ratio.
 2. A heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the entrance pipe (121 a) is located on one side in the longitudinal direction of the entrance side tank (120), and the division plate (123) is arranged at a position shifted by a predetermined distance to one side in the longitudinal direction of the entrance side tank (120).
 3. A heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the division plate (123) is extended into the entrance pipe (121 a). 